Senate denies Binay camp challenge

Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III. INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — The Senate blue ribbon committee turned down on Thursday the two challenges filed by Makati Mayor Jejomar Erwin “Junjun” Binay’s camp, insisting that it has jurisdiction over the probe on the allegedly overpriced Makati City Hall 2 parking building.

The jurisdictional challenges were filed before the committee by the counsel of Binay and Ebeng Baloloy, personal secretary of Vice President Jejomar Binay.

“We have before us two jurisdictional challenges coming from the Mayor of Makati Jejomar S. Binay and Ms. Ebeng Baloloy…the subcommittee hereby denies the said jurisdictional challenges based on the following grounds,” Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, chairman of the committee, said after conferring with Senate Majority Leader Alan Cayetano and Antonio “Sonny” Trillanes IV.

“Under the Senate rules, this is the jurisdiction of the committee on accountability of public officers and investigation—all matters relating to, including investigation of malfeasance. misfeasance and nonfeasance in office by officers and employees of the government, its branches, agencies, subdivisions and instrumentalities; implementation of the provision of the Constitution on nepotism; and investigation of any matter of public interests on its own initiative or brought to its attention by and member of the Senate,” he said.

Pimentel said the committee believes that issue falls under its jurisdiction.

The committee then directed the re-issuance of subpoena to Mayor Binay, Baloloy, and other individuals, including certain officials of the Makati City Hall, who were earlier subpoenaed to attend the hearing but did not show up Thursday.

In the case of Vice President Binay, Pimentel said the committee will no longer issue another invitation after he declined the first invite by the body.

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